Change Happens
by Saz35xx
Summary: Laxus' return to Tenrou Island shows not just a change in attitude but a change in heart. Will Mirajane see the change in him? and can the two overcome their differences in the end? This is a miraxus story which follows the Manga storyline after the Tenrou island arc. (As Mirajane is a fervid shipper, I'm sure there'll be some nalu, gajevy and jerza in there amongst other pairings)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Fairytail and all it's characters belong to Hiro Mashima**

**AN: **AHH! I've wanted to write a fic for ages and here it is. (Miraxus is such a fabulous pairing :3) This is likely to turn out quite long and I'm not quite sure what's going to happen yet, but roll with me ;) I might up the rating later on if necessary...

AND ENJOY!

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Change happens -Chapter one

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**Laxus:**

"I'm proud of you for coming back…" The old man seemed to be taking my presence quite well… That was odd… I looked up at him only to meet his glare.

"Is that what you're expecting me to say?! You shit-for-brains! What were you thinking, how dare you set foot onto Tenrou island whilst you're still exiled!" With each yell, Gramps' head grew in size; as did his volume. It was not kind on my sensitive dragon-slayer senses. I flinched and turned away. Amongst the crowd of people who had just arrived after the Tenrou tree had magically resurrected, I could hear various Fairytail members commenting on gramps' behaviour.

"Master, please calm down!" Levy muttered sheepishly, attempting to soothe the master's rage.

"Wow! Your head is huge…" Gajeel's exceed of a companion seemed very impressed by Makarov's ability to change size; though this was doing little to pacify his rage.

"Jeez, old man, you're going to give yourself a heart attack!" My gramps was being overdramatic, even by Fairytail standards. Honestly, I arrived back in time to save the guild after months away, didn't I? Yet here I am being half-deafened and chastised by my stubborn fool of a grandfather?

_'__I guess I deserve it though...'_ I sighed and felt a pang of regret.

After being exiled and travelling for months, I had found that I missed being part of the guild. It wasn't that my skills and magic were worse off solo or that I particularly disliked life on the road; but it had been lonely. I hadn't expected to miss the companionship of guild life, and not having the heart to join any other guild; I'd learnt the hard way that life as a solo wizard was not easy. Jobs were harder to come by and having nowhere to return to or anyone to talk to afterwards was hugely depressing. Sure I'd gotten a lot of intensive training in, but somehow, I'd come to miss the noisy, overly-excited atmosphere of the Guildhall. I'd missed taking jobs with the Raijinshuu and their strange antics. Hell, I'd even missed Gray and Natsu's outbursts and constant requests to fight! The whole time I'd spent in exile had made me realise how poorly I'd behaved, how I'd neglected my guild mates and squandered my time in Fairytail. I hadn't considered the guild as my family then; simply as foolish individuals, all of whom were weaker than me. It's clear to me now that every member of the guild contributes to the Fairytail way of life: both the strong and the weak. I guess along the way I've lost my prejudice, but the guilt at my actions before the fantasia parade has stayed with me.

At least with this cold reception from gramps I might be able to leave quietly, without any fus- Wait… Oh no.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my three closest friends frozen in shock.

"L…Laxus?" Freed stuttered out, looking close to tears; the rest of the thunder god legion seemed equally awe-struck.

"IT'S LAXUS!" ...They seemed to get over their shock pretty quickly, judging by the combined power of their tackle. Before I knew it the three ever-excitable members of the Raijinshuu had flung themselves at me, in a strange combination of cheering and crying. I suddenly found myself knocked to the ground, crushed in a three-way hug. Some things never change.

"YOU CAME BACK TO US!" Bickslow bawled happily, unable to contain himself.

"WE THOUGHT WE'D NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN!" Evergreen was reduced to a similar state.

"GYAAAAAAH" Freed was wailing loudly and unabashedly, rubbing his cheek against my face joyfully.

"Aagh! Get off!" I wasn't fond of close contact, though secretly it was touching to see all my friends again and to know I'd been missed. They had a rather brutal, full-on way of showing their love. Already in a bad condition and pretty battered from the fight against Hades, I had a feeling their overwhelming hugs were going to leave some bruises. Knowing that I was not going to be released easily, I scanned the surroundings for someone, anyone to rescue me from my friends.

* * *

It just so happened that two Strauss siblings had been watching the scene between Laxus, Master Makarov and the Raijinshuu from a distance, in amusement...

**Mirajane:**

"Master is as strict as usual, even when he's injured! He's a real man!" Elfman commented, utilising his strange 'manly' logic.

"I suppose so…" Mirajane murmured as she contemplated the new turn of events. No one had seen or heard from Laxus since the fantasia parade, not even the Raijinshuu.

"But he'll have a change of heart before you know it!" She gave a wry smile, happy at the prospect of the master and his grandson recounciling. Though his plans to ruin the parade and takeover Fairytail had been horrific, she suspected the only reason the master had been scolding Laxus earlier instead of hugging him and sobbing -much as Freed, Evergreen and Bickslow were currently- was from shock at his appearance. That and his pride.

As she caught Laxus' eyes across the broken phantom lord ship, pleading for someone to save him from his crazy self-appointed bodyguards, she winked at him playfully. Mirajane was surprised to see the once cynical and cold man's eyes widen and a light blush cross his face. That was unusual. She raised her eyebrows. '_I wonder if he's changed during his travels...'_

Mirajane's speculation, however, was cut short, as Natsu stole everyone's attention with his insistence on continuing the s-class trials, claiming that he was "all fired up!" The average level of intelligence in the group began to drop as Natsu and Gajeel argued over who was stronger and who would be better suited for the title of S-class.

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**Laxus** smirked at the familiar turn of conversation; Natsu never ceased to amaze. Even exhausted after fighting the second master of Fairytail and the rest of Grimoire heart; even whilst on the verge of collapsing with no magic power left, he still had some fight left in him.

'_He was stubborn, I'd give him that._' I smirked as I glanced at the rest of the Fairytail bunch who were present. All eyes were still on Natsu, who was proclaiming that they should just fight amongst each other till one person was left standing, then that person would be S-class. Gajeel was trying to ridicule Natsu's idea, while Levy was trying to stop the two from harming themselves further. A long-haired bluenette who I didn't recognise was clutching a white cat, similar to happy and the other cat affiliating itself with Gajeel. From the earlier fight I recognised that she too had dragon-slayer abilities. I made a mental note to find out her name. Fairytail had certainly become a home for cats and dragon-slayers in the past year.

Gramps was standing on the far side of the platform facing the sea, with his eyes clenched shut, still trying to tame his temper. Lucy was chatting with Cana and a girl with short white hair who looked suspiciously familiar…

It couldn't be… Was that Lisanna?

But… she was dead wasn't she?

In a daze, I glanced over to Elfman and Mirajane to confirm my suspicions. Studying the two closely, I noticed that though they both had obtained various injuries, both seemed happier than they had been in years. It was like a veil had been lifted from them. Though I'd heard rumours that Lisanna had returned, I still couldn't believe it. After seeing the drastic change in the siblings after Lisanna's death, both through Elfman's crippling guilt complex and Mirajane's total personality flip, an idiot could see something had changed once again. Mirajane especially seemed brighter and less burdened; the convincing fake smile I'd often seen her wearing during her shift at the guildhall was replaced by one that was truly happy.

After a moment, I realised I was staring at Mirajane; she was more radiant now than I could ever remember in the past. Had she always been so… attractive? I'd known Mirajane since her demon days and of course she had changed in many more ways than just personality since Lisanna's 'death' -not even my past self could have denied that she was beautiful. But I'd certainly never thought of the lovely mirajane as 'my type'. Maybe it was my new outlook on life, maybe it the angle at which the light was shining on her: it was hard to pinpoint what had changed, but I'd honestly never noticed how striking Mirajane was till that moment.

Before I could avert my stare, she caught my gaze once more. Slightly embarrassed by my reaction earlier, this time I didn't turn away, but stared back passively, noting the questioning expression in her bright blue eyes. I guessed that she had her own questions about my return and thinking back to my previous behaviour towards her, I figured I had a lot of apologising to do.

It was just then that Natsu passed out from the aftereffects of consuming my lightening magic. Mirajane turned back to speak with Elfman and I reengaged in the conversation the Raijinshuu had started. Someone in the crowd of Fairytail members must have suggested that everyone should head back to camp because the throng of people slowly began to move back towards Tenrou Island. Freed and Bickslow each took one of my arms and hauled me to my feet. Unable to find the strength to walk on my own, I didn't struggle, and allowed them to pull me along. I listened to their casual conversation as they caught me up on recent events in Fairytail.

I glanced back at Gramps, who was speaking with Hades; it seemed he was confronting him about his actions. As the sunlight illuminated the broken rubble of the ship, I hoped that this was the end of the conflict between Fairytail's second master and the guild of the third.

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**Thanks for reading :) It would be great if anyone who reads this could review or give me some feedback? But it's cool xx**

**I'm just fangirling about Mirajane and Laxus :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Fairytail and all its characters belong to Hiro Mashima**

**AN: **You guys are so sweet! I can't believe I actually got some reviews! (Tbh, I still can't believe that people took the time to read this story :3 ) Since I got some lovely reviews (and because I was reluctant to revise Latin) I decided instead to finish and update the next chapter :3 I got a little bit carried away with Mirajane's point of view, so this chapter is quite a lot longer than it should have been…

But ENJOY :)

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Chapter 2:

The Fairytail campsite itself was in pretty bad condition once the group finally arrived; rocks and trees were strewn across the clearing, courtesy of the members of Grimoire heart. Dark guilds were such a pain. After the majority of rubble had been cleared though a group effort, it wasn't too difficult to manoeuvre around the destroyed basecamp. The Fairytail members dispersed back into separate groups once more. Trying to avoid the majority of people, Laxus had located himself in a corner of the clearing.

**Laxus:**

Seated on a sturdy log, I was finally getting some well-deserved rest and I resigned myself to observing the various interactions in the basecamp. The Raijinshuu sat adjacent to myself and were conversing about the fate of the S-class trials. Lucy, Cana and the three flying cats were sitting on the other side of the campsite, most likely discussing the possible motives behind Grimoire heart's actions and the factors towards Hades' defeat. I assumed Erza and Gray must have gone to check the surrounding area for trespassers, but I soon saw them later clearing away the last of the debris.

Across the clearing, the three Strauss siblings were sitting under the shade of the main tent; I could hear Elfman's loud, abrasive complaints about Natsu's snoring on the other side of the camp. His complaints weren't as irksome as I might have observed it to be last year; in fact, it was satisfying to see the set of pale-haired siblings reunited again. Those three were about as close as family could be. My eyes slowly drifted to Mirajane. Though she was facing away from me, her pale hair glittered in a ray of light seeping through a tear in the roof of the tent. The long waves of white hair began to quiver across her back as she giggled at something Lisanna had said. I hastily but reluctantly, continued surveying the rest of the clearing, using all my skills as an S-class mage to keep an impassive expression. I reminded myself that I still hadn't been forgiven for my juvenile actions during the battle of Fairytail and that first and foremost, I had a pressing need to make amends. It was simply unfortunate for my resolve that I was beginning to notice Mirajane's appeal.

The young blue haired dragon-slayer, who I had yet to be introduced to, apparently had a rare form of healing magic and was trying to heal her guild-mates. At first, it had seemed like the young girl had quite a substantial queue of patients to attend to. Unfortunately, Erza also noticed this and had concluded that she ought to help out her young friend. In an attempt to relieve the young girl from some of her work load -with use of a nurse costume and her feminine wiles- she instead made matters much worse. Lessons were learnt.

No matter how convincing the costume, if a person has no medical experience; they still have no medical experience… Quite frankly, I figured it was impressive that Erza had managed to somehow inflict pain with soft cotton bandages.

After that incident, Mirajane began to help the girl with the wounded instead. She was much more proficient at tying bandages and applying herbs than Erza. It was strange to think that a few years ago, an instance like this would most likely have resulted in a brawl between the two women; their rivalry certainly had been interesting… I felt nostalgic at the memory and smirked at an image of the younger, more violent version of Mirajane tying bandages…

"Ahem… Laxus?"

My gaze flicked over to Evergreen as she addressed me. She looked at me peculiarly, then smirked, with a look that suggested she knew exactly who I had just been thinking about… and staring at… again.

I frowned and ran a hand through my blonde hair in frustration._ 'Damnit. That needs to stop.' _It was quickly becoming a bad habit.

Thankfully, before Evergreen could make a suggestive comment of some sort, Bickslow started up a conversation.

"It's great to have you back Laxus!" Bickslow declared gladly. I cringed at his words. Though I was grateful that my friends would welcome me back with open arms; I felt now would be a good time to interject and point out that it was unlikely I'd be back for good, before anyone got their hopes up.

"Wait- don't get ahead of yourself… I didn't _exactly _come back-"

"I'M SO HAPPY LAXUS IS BACK! I CAN BARELY RESTRAIN MY TEARS OF JOY!" I was cut off by another of Freed's outbursts; tears were still streaming down his face. I rolled my eyes. By this point I was amazed he hadn't become dehydrated from all the water he was losing.

"… Is anyone even listening to me?" This was exasperating. Was anyone going to listen to reason, or at least to me? I dropped my head into one of my hands and sighed, feeling a slight migraine coming on.

"Laxus, You won't believe the terrible things Elfman did to me while you were gone, could you punish him for me?" Evergreen drawled, in a coy and mischievous tone. I glanced over at the green-clad woman. Judging by her expression, I discerned that she was trying to catch Elfman's attention with the statement.

"WHAT?!" Elfman promptly came over to rebuke Evergreen's words. From how swiftly Elfman had reacted to Ever mentioning his name, It would seem that Evergreen had the second Strauss sibling wrapped around her little finger. That was interesting.

"Oh yeah? Huh." I got to my feet and paced over to Elfman, narrowing my eyes at him and fixing him with a serious look. I already knew that he and Evergreen had become partners for the S-class trials, but from the shifty look in his eye I determined that he and Evergreen had something extra going on between them. After a moment of assessing the two individuals carefully, I decided that the two seemed to be a good match for each other. Besides, I could definitely have some fun with this arrangement.

"So… when did you two hook up?" I asked innocently enough, but the 'innocent act' was less convincing with the sly smirk spread across my face. I must say, watching the muscle head of the Strauss family splutter and struggle to reply was some quality entertainment.

"We didn't- I mean it's not like that- It's kind of hard to explain…" I tried not to laugh but the evident alarm and confusion from Elfman was brilliant. Those two would be fun to tease in the future, if nothing else. I patted him on the back trying to convey a 'man to man' understanding of his rapport with Evergreen and nodded my approval.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" he asked with wide eyes. A slightly horrified look crossed his face. Clearly, Ever still had some essential groundwork to do with the big lug…

* * *

Half an hour later, after Freed had finally stopped wailing, I decided to get some rest.

But just as I was starting to relax, suddenly a dishevelled and distraught girl emerged from a cluster of bushes. I seemed to remember her as one of the element-four who had joined Fairytail after Phantom Lord was disbanded. I think her name was Juvia, perhaps? She seemed to be in a bedraggled state and was wailing unintelligibly about letting Zeref get away and needing to be punished. I rolled my eyes at her antics involving Gray, but was stunned by her words. What did she mean by that? Did she mean the dark wizard Zeref? Master of the black magics and creator of demons? I could vaguely recall Hades mentioning something about summoning Zeref, but if he'd actually managed it…

I recoiled from the thoughts and abruptly chastised myself. I couldn't allow myself to be concerned about this matter. I no longer had any right to an opinion or insight on the guild's affairs. I was no longer a member of Fairytail…

I scowled at the ground, angry again at my reckless and foolhardy actions of the past. I was too irritated to try and sleep. I was so busy glaring at an innocent rock, that I didn't notice Fairytail's most powerful wizard join me on the ground.

"Laxus… are you sulking?"

I snuck a look to the side and found that Gildarts had arrived back at base camp, setting himself down next to me. I hadn't seen the man in years and he appeared to have fewer limbs than before… Perhaps the ten-year mission had proved to be a little much even for Gildarts. That was a worrying thought. He was the only one in the guild who could defeat me in terms of sheer power -not counting Gramps- and I had a great respect for the man. At his inquisitive gaze, I realised I had yet to answer his question.

"Obviously I'm not." I grumbled defensively. Then, hoping that he had gotten the message that I didn't want to be disturbed, I glowered at a blade of grass.

He studied my face for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"HA! So it is true! You screwed up so badly that you got exiled from the guild by your own grandpa? HAHAHA! You're so lame!" Gildarts was clutching his stomach and sniggering at my current predicament. That pissed me off a little.

"Shut it! I ain't half as lame as you are!" Regrettably, it seemed that Gildarts was far too amused to retort with a coherent response. And meanwhile, Lucy and Cana had strolled over and joined Gildarts in his chortling. I rolled my eyes, and settled for ignoring the lot of them.

Eventually, everyone managed to settle down for good and enjoy the warm climate on the island. I lay back against the trunk of a tree on the edge of the clearing. The tree offered shade and as a gentle breeze ruffled my hair I drifted off…

* * *

**Mirajane:**

The line of patients I'd been tending to had finally dwindled down to just Gildarts. Although he had been fighting the strongest member of Grimoire heart (bar Hades himself); he had sustained relatively few injuries. There were some nasty black bruises, and a few deep jagged lacerations on his left arm. As Wendy healed the bruising, I tended to the cuts on his arm, packing the correct herbs into each wound, to prevent infection and carefully wrapping the limb. As I finished off the dressing with a neat bow, I gestured to Gildarts that he was fixed up and could go laze around in the sun with the others.

Standing from the crate I'd been sat at for the last hour I stretched out my arms and yawned. Noticing some stray hairs in my line of vision, I re-tied my fringe and turned to Wendy with my signature grin.

"Well, that's everyone. I'd say that's an achievement, wouldn't you?" Wendy's healing abilities had become far stronger and more impressive than I last remembered. The smallest dragon-slayer gave me a small, shaky smile. By her wavering grin and hazy expression, I was almost certain that she'd exhausted her magic. She urgently needed to rest up and recharge, but before I could suggest this to her, she frowned and pointed in the direction of the outskirts of the basecamp.

"Uhm, not quite, Laxus… he didn't come over here to get treated…"

Mirajane glanced over to where Wendy pointed. And she could indeed see Laxus relaxing alone against a distant tree, fast asleep. That was understandable; Laxus had never been very sociable and he was bound to be tired after expending all his magic energy fighting Hades…

"Don't worry Wendy, I'll go and sort Laxus out. You can go relax for a bit." I relented and winked knowingly at Wendy. As far as I knew, Wendy hadn't introduced herself to Laxus yet, and with her shy nature, she was probably reluctant to do so.

"Thanks Mira, You're the best!" Wendy chirped gratefully and walked slowly over to join Carla in the meadow.

As I collected bandages and herbs to treat Laxus, I took my time to observe the other members of Fairytail. Most had opted to relax in the sun. Levy and Gajeel were lying next to each other - which made me smile. If they weren't an item in the next month, I resolved that an intervention would need to be staged! - Evergreen and Elfman had managed to get tangled up in one another, which I assumed was the combined doing of Lisanna, Freed and Bickslow, who were lying together in another patch of grass. I wasn't quite sure what to think of Elfman and Evergreen's relationship. They had managed to defeat me in Satan soul form, but only by springing that fake marriage story. I supposed I was still a little worked up about it. I'd need to have to have a chat with Elfman about that incident later and his 'fiancée'.

Back to the task at hand, I sauntered gracefully, but reluctantly over to the tree Laxus was relaxing beneath. He looked strangely peaceful without his usual arrogant smirk crossing his features. I was reminded of the child he had been when I'd first met him, before his father's exile. The memory coaxed a small grin from me, and I elected to leave him asleep for the moment. A large gash marred his exposed shoulder and there were multiple scratches, splinters and bruises across his front and back. I hummed a gentle nonsensical tune to myself as I strategized over how to go about cleaning his wounds.

Firstly, the shirt would have to go. It was already ruined and I doubted Laxus would mind if I mutilated it further. Pulling out a pair of scissors, I gently cut down the side of the shirt and along the remaining sleeve, so that it fell to the ground. I blushed a little at the sight of his muscular upper body, before continuing my administrations. Taking up the tweezers, I diligently plucked out the larger splinters I could see, while doing my very best to ignore the perfect, smooth abdominal muscles beneath my fingers.

I checked his expression before I carried on; so far, so good. He was still sound asleep. I began dabbing disinfectant into each of the smaller cuts lining his skin and after crushing some herbs into a paste, cleaned the largest cut on his shoulder. At this manoeuvre, he moaned gently under his breath and I froze completely. This had become somewhat of a challenge –to treat Laxus without him waking up- testing both my first aid skills and my stealth. I did not want to lose. After I heard another gentle snore, I slowly counted to ten and carried on applying the paste to his shoulder.

Subsequently, I was meant to place some gauze over the wound and bandage it up. For this, I'd have to tilt him forwards from the tree and then wrap up the wound, without letting him topple over. I knelt back for a moment, and furrowed my brow as I calculated the most effective way to proceed.

I beamed mischievously as I came up with a fool proof plan. Stepping away from the still sleeping man, I used my Satan soul takeover transformation; and with a devilish grin worthy of a demon, I used my _tail_ to support laxus' body. Tilting him forwards and lightly positioning gauze over the wound, I carefully wrapped up his shoulder as I went. Mission accomplished. I leant Laxus back up against the tree, and returned back to my normal form and admired my handiwork. One blonde, grumpy lightening mage treated. No longer having a set goal, I let my eyes wander over his chiselled body. From the inky black tattoo sprawled across his chest, up to the tranquil expression on his handsome face. I thought back to the strange moment we had earlier in the day. When his eyes had met mine I'd felt... something…

In a daze, I reached out to touch his fac-

What on earthland was I doing?

I withdrew my hand quickly as if I'd been burnt. Laxus may very well have changed from the man he had used to be, and he may very well have been one of the most gorgeous men I had the pleasure of knowing; but I couldn't and I wouldn't think about him in this way. '_At least not until he's shown me that he's no longer who he used to be…'_

I cleared away the rest of my supplies, draped a spare t-shirt over the sleeping man and left Laxus to his dreams.

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**AN: Woo! Okay, so I have the next chapter planned out already, But if anyone has any other ideas about what they'd like to see, FEEL FREE TO SUGGEST IT! Any sort of feedback is good because I sort of feel like I'm writing blind atm. Thoughts?**

**:D I should have it updated by next weekend. Good luck to anyone else who has exams xx**

**27/08/14 OMG I JUST REREAD THIS CHAPTER. FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE READ CHAPTER 396, I (MIRAJANE) TOTALLY PREDICTED IT WOULD HAPPEN ON THE EXACT DAY IN THE CHAPTER ABOVE. I/SHE MUST BE PSYCHIC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Fairytail and all its characters belong to Hiro Mashima**

**AN: **WOW! Okay, I've had another break in exams, so here's a new chapter :3 (note: most of this chapter is taking place at the same time that Cana is confessing to Gildarts that she is his daughter. So if you were wondering where Natsu, Happy, Lucy, Cana and Gildarts were, there we go (But you could just imagine some secret behind-the-scenes-of-Fairytail Nalu makeout sessions instead)) (also, Pantherlily, Levy and Gajeel are also off adventuring together, like a family... (awwwhhhh))

note: I've changed the previous two chapter slightly to make the switches in PoV clearer. From now on, when it's not clear, I'll indicate when there's a new PoV introduced. :) ...Sorry if the mix between different 1st person speakers and 3rd person encompassing narrator is sorta confusing...

Enjoy :3

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Chapter 3:

**Laxus** was startled awake from his blissful snooze as the calm ambience of the camp was disturbed yet again; this time by indignant shouting in reaction to the cancellation of the S-class trial. Sealing his eyes shut, he endeavoured to ignore the disturbance. Perhaps if he set his mind to it, and concentrated on his breathing, he could just go back to sleep…

Breathe in…

Breathe out…

Breathe in...

Breathe o- "AAGH!?"

Hearing girlish squeals from Gray, Elfman and Gajeel, the lightening mage lazily opened a single golden eye in time to see Natsu crushed between an unlucky tree and Gramps' enlarged fist. At the sight, an amused smile crossed his face. He found himself unsure whether to laugh at Natsu's pain or at his stupidity. The absurd pink-haired adolescent had probably deserved it. On a less entertaining note, he had sadly been woken from a _very _pleasant dream.

Laxus groaned in disappointment, as images began to grow fuzzy in his mind. Mesmerising blue eyes framed by long dazzling white hair slowly faded away, leaving the standard black shadows behind his eye-lids. A small part of him was maddened by Mirajane's untimely entrance into his subconscious and the lack of control he had over his own thoughts. This opinion was clearly in the minority though, as all Laxus wanted to do right now was return to his fantasy. He cringed at his lack of self-restraint. The dream had been so vivid, as if she'd been sitting right beside him. In fact, he could almost distinguish her lingering scent in the breeze… along with disinfectant?

Something wasn't quite right. Blinking himself awake, he tried to work out precisely what it was. The camp was intact (which was always good to note when the most destructive guild members were present); there were no grey clouds signifying an upcoming storm; everything seemed fine. Better than just fine, even his body felt far better for the brief nap and the throbbing in his shoulder had ceased.

Absentmindedly, he stretched his arms -Only to stop. Something was restricting his movements.

He looked down at himself, a little confused and did a double-take. His chest was bare, his shoulder bandaged and a fresh shirt had been deposited in his lap. '_W-what?! Who- …How long was I asleep for?!'_

But as Laxus noticed a single strand of long white hair draped over the shirt, unknowingly dropped by an S-class takeover mage in her administrations earlier, he suddenly understood. The neat bow finishing his dressings; the strange numbness in his shoulder; Mirajane's curious scent in the air. A wry smile graced his face as he appreciated that now, he had another reason to seek out Mirajane than just to beg for her forgiveness.

* * *

**Still Laxus:**

"What are you… dooooing?" Lisanna enquired in annoyance, whilst Laxus was pulling at her cheeks. He blinked a few times before answering her question.

"Well… I was wondering if it's really you."

My initial disbelief over Lisanna's return still hadn't faded, and although I was already more or less certain of her identity (mainly from her creation of "pigtail Natsu" and remarks on his "cuteness"); I'd decided that until I had thoroughly checked for myself, I wasn't taking any chances.

Presently, after deciding that Lisanna's cheeks were in fact, the correct sort of squishiness for the Lisanna I had known, I tried patting her head to see if she would react in the same way that our Lisanna would.

"Of course it's really me! How rude!" She yelled, pulling away and taking back ownership of her cheeks. She seemed displeased by the answer I'd given her… Taking me by surprise, Lisanna gave me a resounding thump on the head, leaving me a little dazed. Suddenly, I was on the defence, protecting myself from a bout of unforgiving head-patting, which I didn't think I'd fully deserved.

"Now, now Laxus. Don't bully the poor girl." Evergreen berated me. Couldn't she see that I was the one being abused? In Freed's eyes, my actions as usual were the pinnacle of human development. From behind the barrage of Lisanna's attack, I could hear the Green-haired man appraising the insight to my methods, suggesting that Bickslow follow my example.

"Enough! Stop it! I told you, I'M THE REAL LISANNA!" This time she yelled her words right into my ear, virtually destroying my delicate eardrums. Effectively getting her message across and ending my playful teasing.

"Okay, okay! My bad…" I relented, but not before receiving a final thump. I no longer doubted that the girl in front of me was Lisanna. Clearly she had begun to take after her sister's old demonic ways.

The Raijinshuu had already informed me of Lisanna's magical teleportation to the alternate reality, Edolas, and Lisanna herself had been elaborating on their explanation, moments ago (before we'd descended into the head-thumping business) She'd been enlightening me that the three 'cats' in our camp were actually 'exceeds' -A race of flying cats which originated from Edolas.

It all seemed very fantastical and I was highly skeptical of the circumstances, but was content to accept that Lisanna had returned. Growing up together everyone had had a soft spot for the kid, including me. It was good to know she'd survived and returned in one piece.

I'd also been informed of Mystogan's new role as a prince in Edolas, information which I'd taken the time to mock:

"Ha! Really?! That bizarre recluse turned out to be a prince?" Erza had strangely left the conversation at that point, excusing herself to go check upon the master and Mirajane. I could tell more had transpired on her side of the story; perhaps related to the way Erza had reacted after Mystogan's face had been revealed during the battle of Fairytail. I winced at the memory, I'd most likely have to apologise to Erza for my behaviour at some point too…

"Uhm… excuse me…" A meek interruption from a young bluenette with healing abilities broke me out of my thoughts. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to formulate a sentence. Then taking a deep breath, she managed to utter out a greeting.

"Hi, m-my name is Wendy. I'm quite a new member of Fairytail and we haven't properly met before, so I thought I should say hi…" Clearly the girl was shy, turning a bright shade of pink and slowly losing the confidence she had plucked up to introduce herself. Well, I could relate. In addition to my power-superiority complex, another reason I'd tended to avoid the majority of the guild in the past, was simply because I found it difficult talking to people.

"So, your name's Wendy?" In reply, she gave me an anxious nod and darted a nervous look down to the white exceed at her side.

"Mine's Laxus, nice to meet you kid," I smirked at her in the least intimidating fashion I could muster. Seemingly glad to be accepted, she beamed back at me. She looked like a nice girl. Deciding to humour her and intrigued by the properties of her magic during the battle with Hades, I attempted to engage her in some small talk.

"So… What sort of dragon-slaying magic do you use?" Her eyes lit up as she began to describe the effects of sky dragon-slayer magic…

* * *

**Mirajane and Erza:**

From behind the main supplies tent, a pair of female S-class wizards were closely observing a certain Lightning mage's interactions with their young guild-mate.

Mirajane had been endeared by Laxus' antics with Lisanna earlier and surprised by his kind treatment towards Wendy just now. It seemed he could still be quite considerate when he tried. His delight and playfulness in expression to Lisanna's return had made Mirajane smile. She couldn't remember the last time he'd acted so light-hearted. Had he really changed so much since the events of the fantasia parade? She cringed at the memory of being turned to stone, but reflected that if Laxus had never tried to takeover Fairytail, she wouldn't have rediscovered her takeover magic. At her grimace, Erza raised an eyebrow and gently tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

"Are you worried?" she quietly intoned, so as not to be noticed by the very people they were watching.

"Hmm? About Laxus? No. I mean, his ideas were a little misguided but he was never a bad person." Mira softly whispered back.

Erza nodded in understanding. _'if only the same could be said for Jellal'-_Where had that thought come from?!She'd broken her record of forgetting Jellal's existence twice in one day. First with that conversation about Mystogan and then this now; the situations between Jellal and Laxus were nothing alike. Though it had hurt when she had been acquainted to Siegrain and when she'd realised who Mystogan was; it had hurt so much more when the magic council had arrested her Jellal. Just when he had beginning to find his old self, he'd been taken from her. Now she would never see him again.

Mentally slapping herself, Erza reminded herself that now was not the time for unpleasant recollections. She should be in high spirits, Fairytail had defeated Grimoire heart! As well as Hades! Mirajane still seemed to be concerned about something though...

"The master asked me to keep an eye on him for a while. I think he's afraid Laxus might turn out like his father…" Erza informed her friend, trailing off as Mirajane cocked a slim eyebrow. An angry look flitted across her features before she sighed.

"Honestly, Master Makarov is overreacting. I mean just look at him."

Both s-class mages turned back to the scene unfolding between Laxus and Wendy. The latter was demonstrating her wind magic and animatedly describing her adoptive mother, the sky dragon, Grandine. The former was watching closely and was flabbergasted when, without warning, Wendy's support magic caused him to start floating. He flailed in the air for a moment, while Lisanna, Bickslow and Evergreen exploded into laughter.

Taking pity on her newfound friend, Wendy smoothly set him back down on the ground. Laxus gestured for her to come closer, whispered something in her ear and presented the effects of his lightening magic… Upon Lisanna, Bickslow and Evergreen. The two dragon-slayers grinned at the sight of their freshly singed friends, bursting into carefree giggles and snorts.

Both women smirked at the sight. "I never thought I'd see Laxus Dreyar trying so hard to be… nice. It seems the exile may have actually done him some good." Erza concluded, still chuckling.

"Mmmm…" Mirajane hummed in agreement. It was true. Being exiled had forcibly removed Laxus from the shadow of Makarov, and in doing so, allowed him to explore his own person. Scarred by the past and led astray by his father, Laxus had been bitter, rejecting the people closest to him. But after following his own path for a while, it seemed that he really had seen the error of his ways. The proof was in his untroubled laughter and light-hearted grin.

The pair of past rivals stood together for a moment longer, letting time pass whilst watching the exchanges between their reunited family of fairies.

* * *

Unfortunately, the jovial mood was not to last.

It was broken by a rumbling tremor, shaking the very island itself.

It wasn't Natsu wreaking havoc with his dragon-slayer magic; it wasn't an earthquake either. It was the cry of a creature that had not walked earthland for seven years.

It was the roar of a dragon.

As the guild members rushed back to camp, the silhouette of a colossal black dragon came into view on the horizon.

Everyone was silent.

This was the end.

Acnologia had arrived at Tenrou island.

* * *

**AN: ACNOLOGIA :O *GASPS***

**Thanks for reading xx I think the stuff before the timeskip is about done. Are the PoV switches slightly clearer now? I feel like theres more I could have included... BUT I'VE TIME TO INCLUDE THAT STUFF LATER ON. :D **

**If I survive my physics tomorrow, I shall try and update on the weekend :3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Fairytail and all its characters belong to Hiro Mashima**

**AN: **Thank you x 200 x10^7000 to the people who have followed/reviewed/favourited this story! You people are the best! I'm sorry it's taken me a while to upload this, it was actually done last weekend… but then I accidentally deleted it and had to rewrite the whole thing… *what is life* (BUT ALL MY EXAMS ARE FINALLY OVER!)

I ended up writing way more than the original chapter and split it all up, so it's just Mira today. But the next chapter is already written out, so I'll upload on Monday I think (hope)

Just as a heads up, I've decided to skip the actual fight with Acnologia as well as that damned filler arc in the anime. (BUT that doesn't mean I won't include Kinana/Cubelios x Cobra/Erik at somepoint. Because goddamn it. That was the only redeeming feature about that arc.)

ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter 4:

**Mirajane:**

"_Just my luck."_

As I came to, I winced at an unwelcome, unpleasant pounding in my head; promptly deciding that I was not partial to being awoken in this manner. The headache was a familiar symptom of over using magic. I was well acquainted to the side-effect, after my many extreme brawls with Erza… It had been the one factor to being unable to access my magic that I hadn't missed.

_Wait._

_Had something provoked me into challenging Erza?! _

_Could that be why I was mindlessly sprawled on the ground?_

I lay back for a moment, staring into the blue skies and trying to unscramble my thoughts. Between strands of hair from my untied fringe, soft hues of white and grey drifted across the azure surface of the sky. At this I giggled: How ironic that the heavens should prove to be a soothing distraction for a demon.

After a few minutes, the pain in my temples began to subside. Slowly, I became aware of the thin layer of grit coating my body and rubble burying my legs. The noticeable ache across my lower back told me that I must have been thrown by a large explosion. Swiftly, memories from the fight against Acnologia returned.

I sat up, abruptly. Questions flooded my mind.

_How am I still alive?! _

_Did Freed and Levy's enchantments work?_

_If I survived, then where is everyone else?!_

Alarmed by the last thought, I surveyed the clearing I'd landed in, frantically: Several rocks blasted here by Acnologia's roar littered the forest glade… But the forest was silent and I was alone. I had no clue where I was, let alone the rest of the S-class trial group. Even through careful concentration, I couldn't sense anyone nearby. Most worryingly, I had no idea where Elfman or Lisanna were.

Fighting the urge to panic at the absence of my siblings, I assessed the situation. My magical-energy levels were too low to use transformation magic; so my Satan-soul transformation's flying ability was out of the question. That would make locating the others more challenging. I grimaced as I delicately lifted an arm to examine a newly-formed jagged cut. It looked shallow and had already crusted over; but from the pain in my stiff muscles, I concluded that my body was also drained of energy.

As to my whereabouts, from the angle of the Tenrou tree at my current position, I discerned that I was on the middle level of the island, in the wooded area near the cliffs. The base camp, where we had fought Acnologia, was on the other side of the island! If I had been thrown so far by the blast, then what about the others? Tenrou Island was huge; it could take hours to find the rest of the group! That is… if there was anyone else to be found…

Images of ominous inky-black and blue scales sprang to mind. The black dragon of the apocalypse had certainly lived up to its horrifying name. And from what Gildarts had mentioned, that beast hadn't even been using its full strength. How could such a creature exist?

Suddenly, a deep groan emanated from the trees to my left, startling me from my macabre thoughts.

_'__Could that be Elfman? Perhaps Lisanna is with him!'_

Motivated by this line of thought, I brushed the debris from my legs and shakily rose to my feet. Almost immediately, I felt lightheaded and queasy, having to steady myself against the nearest tree, fighting off a wave of Nausea. Once my stomach had settled, I moved slowly forwards and followed the low grunts.

As I inched my way through shrubbery, I could feel magical energy seeping back into my body, gradually being resupplied by the Tenrou tree. I was soon revitalised and walking at a faster, more urgent pace; the echoing noises growing louder. Pushing my way through a front of unruly bushes; the source of the groaning appeared in the form of a muscular figure, flailing on his stomach in the dust. This man, however, wasn't Elfman.

I froze in recognition, as waves of blonde spikes and a face marred by a lightening-shaped scar came into view. He seemed to be ensnared by a pile of rocks trapping his right leg. Shaking off my apprehension and disappointment at not finding my little brother or sister, I hurried over to help Makarov's disgraced grandson.

"Laxus! Are you alright?" At the sound of my voice, the lightening mage stopped struggling and gently rotated his body to face me. With a wide-eyed look and then a guilty frown, he gestured for me to help shift the rocks.

"I'm not sure…" He mumbled quietly, still embarrassed at being caught in such a degrading state. He must have been completely drained of power; otherwise he would have destroyed the rocks with his magic in an instant. After I'd removed the obstruction, Laxus shifted onto his back, scanning me his orange eyes; his expressionless façade not betraying a single emotion. This, I had to admit, was impressive, as I stifled a gasp at the state of his right leg. Most likely made worse by his struggles, it was covered in dirt and scratches, weeping blood. The majority of his shirt was incinerated; and the bandages I'd carefully applied earlier were torn and ripped.

"Hold still, I just… I need to clear some of this grit off." I muttered, before tearing off a small part of my shirt and removing some of the dirt around the scratches. Despite the severity of his injuries, Laxus didn't appear to be bothered by the pain and blood loss or self-conscious over his partial nudity. He kept his gaze focused firmly on my face. Under his scrutiny, it was me who found it difficult to remain passive. The harsh lines and planes of his body were on full show, yet again. Every so often, my eyes would stray to his stomach or flick to his well-built upper body. Such an incredible physique had to be illegal…

_'__What am I thinking?! Now is definitely not the time to be eyeing up Laxus!'_

I berated myself and firmly yanked my brain away from Laxus-infected thoughts. Using my long hair to my advantage, I hid my face; because with each passing moment in his proximity, I felt my cheeks blossom a brighter pink.

* * *

Once I'd cleaned up his leg as best as I could, I fashioned a dressing out of the remains of his shirt. I sat back sharply to distance myself. I resolved to concentrate a different feature. A less distracting feature…

Instead, I heard a small cough from the aforementioned male, and ended up staring directly at his face. His handsome angular face, with its deep golden eyes and shapely lips curled in a soft smirk…

_Damnit._

Before my thoughts went off on another tangent, Laxus leaned forwards to speak.

"…How exactly are we still alive?" His brows had furrowed and he seemed perplexed. I didn't blame him; it was the same question I'd been pondering myself…

"-Ah, that would be my doing." An unknown voice answered. I did a double take as a girl with white-blonde hair spanning her small stature materialised beside us. I gaped at the spot where she had just appeared.

What was happening? Where had this girl come from? Glancing over at Laxus, it seemed he too was having a similar thought process.

How had she managed to surprise not one, but two S-class wizards?

I'd heard of magic which could manipulate light, giving its user the ability to render themselves invisible; but why hadn't I sensed any magic usage from her? Taking no notice of our obvious discomfort, the girl continued her explanation.

"With some delicate magic manipulation, I was able to convert everyone's bonds and faith in each other into magical power. And just as I'd calculated, that rotten dragon underestimated the power between us fairies." She answered with a cheerful smile. Her words were even more astonishing than her unorthodox arrival, manipulation of magic? **Us** fairies? Was she a member of Fairytail? I couldn't recall seeing her before…

Her long lacy dress combined with a lack of suitable footwear wasn't the most practical of outfits; though, her pastel-coloured clothes and white wing-like decorations behind her ears seemed somewhat familiar. The strange girl sighed briefly at our shocked expressions, fiddling with the bows on her colourful clothing, as her words were lost on us.

"I'll re-explain once everyone has regrouped. For now, head east, everyone seems to have gathered there."

Then with that, the girl vanished, just as suddenly as she had appeared.

"…I think that was the ghost of the first master of Fairytail… " Laxus murmured pale-faced and stunned. It took me a moment to process his words. Recognition sparked in my brain as I connected the girl to the photo of the first master hanging in the guildhall. If that girl had indeed been Mavis Vermillion… Then we hadn't witnessed a form of light manipulation magic at all, but a ghost…

This in itself was not the most comforting of thoughts, but if the First master had come from beyond the grave to help the guild, the least we could do was make ourselves useful. She had mentioned that everyone was heading east, so it seemed our next move was decided. Laxus was still a little shell-shocked at the appearance of The First. While he collected himself, I gingerly tore away what remained of his shirt, then fastened it to his leg.

"Uhm… Laxus? If we can find the others, Wendy might be able to heal you… Can you stand?" Nodding, Laxus rose up slowly, leaning on me for support. He had lost a lot of blood and was completely drained of magical energy. Moreover, Laxus was no longer a Member of Fairytail, so the rejuvenating abilities of the Tenrou tree would not help him. Despite all this, he refrained from leaning his whole body weight on me. Once he stood fully upright, he gave me a small smirk as if to say 'go on'. But before I could turn and walk ahead, he slumped over without warning. Before he hit the ground, I caught one of his hands and slipped my other arm smoothly behind his back. I rolled my eyes and beamed at him, hiding my concern for his health.

"Honestly, I get enough spiel from Elfman about 'being a man.' How about, for now, we help each other make it back to our friends and I won't tell them about you nearly fainting on me?" I gave him a cheeky wink. In return, he narrowed his golden eyes at me and I suddenly felt a little nervous at the close contact between us. The defined muscles in his back rippled beneath my fingers, skin against skin. He bent his head down, till his lips were in line with my ear.

"I guess my reputation lies in your hands." He whispered weakly in a low, guarded tone and I smiled at his words. I positioned his arm comfortably around my neck; and with a firm grip across his lower back, the two of us slowly traversed one of the forest paths.

* * *

For a while, we walked in an easy silence. It struck me how comforting the proximity was, not to mention how casual and relaxed I felt. As strange as the two of us might have looked, with Laxus' huge frame draped across my smaller build; we seemed to have worked out a comfortable rhythm to walk at. We staggered along in a slow and unhurried manner, supporting one another. I kept a vigil on the track ahead, manoeuvring us to avoid the bumps and holes littering the path. A couple of times, I glanced over at Laxus, but each time his eyes were glazed over, lost in thought.

Suddenly he came to a stop; the muscles in his back tensing up.

"Laxus! Are you alright?"

"It's nothing." He rasped. From the grip I had on his wrist, I could feel his pulse jump ever so slightly, indicating his obvious lie.

"If there's something bothering you, just say. You have some very serious injuries, not to mention you're very low on magical energy and can't tap into the Tenrou tree's magical power suppl-"

"-Mira, just… _forgive me._" I blinked a couple of times at the random and unexpected request. Perhaps his injuries had been more severe than I'd thought…

"What for?" He was silent while he weighed up how best to reply.

"Well, for ruining your bandaging..." -He'd realised that I'd done his bandages?!- I turned bright pink in fleeting horror for the twentieth time that day. "… and then for... everything else…"

I didn't need to ask what he meant by that. He looked down at the ground in what seemed to be shame, refusing to meet my eyes.

'_Laxus? Ashamed of his actions?'_

He really had changed.

"While I've been away… I suppose I've thought a lot about what it means to be part of a guild. I nearly tore Fairytail apart in order to appoint myself as master. What sort of logic is that, Eh? No, what sort of person does that? Because of me, you and the other girls were turned to stone… I abandoned the guild when you needed me most; deceived my friends; betrayed gramps… And things I've said and done to you specifically... How can you even stand to look at me?" His eyes darkened and he grimaced at an unfortunate inanimate object, projecting self-loathing onto a separate entity.

"Oh, Laxus..." I gave him a sympathetic smile and, ignoring all the mental cautions and alerts in my brain, I raised a small hand to his cheek, turning his head so that our eyes met.

"It's not our past that defines us, but our actions… You showed up to save the guild and it was thanks to you that Hades was defeated. You're a part of Fairytail through and through..." His golden eyes widened in surprise.

This close to him, I could see flecks of green, decorating his irises. The scar down his face didn't make him any less appealing I decided, but it gave him a rugged sort of look. I brushed my thumb gently over the ridge of scarred skin, staring into his eyes. Everything stood still. "You were already forgiven..."

"Mira… I just wa-"

"-NEE-CHAN? Are you here?"

"LAAAAAAXUS?! FIGHT ME!"

Laxus' response was cut off. At the sound of my little sister and Natsu's shouting, I flinched back, retracting my hand. I could have sworn I saw a look of hurt flash across his face, but I must have imagined it. We continued onwards, stumbling in the direction of the shouts.

The brief instant we had shared: forgotten...

* * *

**what didja think? There will be much Laxus PoV next chapter, I promise :) **

**Thanks for reading :) if you have anything you'd like to see in upcoming chapters or feel like fangirling over fairytail then review or PM me! xx ****I welcome any criticism xx **

**(OMG! THOSE NEW MANGA CHAPTERS THOUGH!? AAAAHHHHH!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Fairytail and all its characters belong to Hiro Mashima**

**AN: **Oh my god. I somehow managed to delete it accidently again... WHY DON'T I JUST SAVE STUFF PROPERLY?! I've lost faith in my ability to use word. *is rained upon by the rain cloud of shame*

Anyways,

ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter 5:

Laxus huffed as he fought with the stiff door outside his apartment for the fourth time that day; it was becoming somewhat of a farce to enter his _own_ home. While his patience grew thin, lightening crackled dangerously around him, and the lights in the building began to flicker.

**Laxus:**

'_What was wrong with this damned door?!_'

So what if seven years had passed? The primary function of a door is to open **and** close. Currently it was only fulfilling half of its objectives. I scowled at the door intensely, internally cursing at the barrier. The only reason I hadn't incinerated the blasted thing (yet) was due to my non-existent income. On our return, I'd discovered that the interest built up in my already substantial bank account, was quite significant; meaning that the necessary costs for my apartment in Magnolia had been repaid, relatively easily. From what the Raijinshuu had reported, the rest of the crew from the S-class trials, themselves included, had not been so fortunate: just the thought of Evergreen's piercing shrieks, after finding her precious statues crumbling in her rooms at Fairy Hills, was enough to make my ears throb. However, despite my good fortune, I still had no clue when or where I'd next find my job and therefore, couldn't afford to go around cremating doors.

_'__What. A. Shame.' _

After arriving back at the guild almost a week ago, the remains of the former strongest guild in Fiore had partied the days away; trying to make up for the years lost to time. The first night of our return had been filled with more excitement and joy than the whole of my time in exile; and I suspected the past seven years at Fairytail, combined. People had been shamelessly dancing atop tables and slurring through renditions of old songs. It was such a familiar scene, yet so much more. I'd never seen Erza consume so much strawberry cake; and Natsu and Gray had never been rowdier, which was almost praiseworthy… Almost.

I'd knocked Natsu out twice that evening, before sending him off to bother the real guild members, who might actually appreciate his escapades. Members who'd endured the past seven years at the bottom of the food chain as the weakest guild. I twitched in anger; reminded of the Twilight Ogre bastards. Who did they think they were?! Taking Fairytail's spot as Magnolia's main wizarding guild and then extorting money from those left to hold down the fort?! Perhaps I'd pay them a visit if Gramps didn't tear them apart first…

Or I wouldn't…

Since I wasn't in Fairytail...

Why did I keep forgetting that?

For me, it hadn't been that long since I'd near ruined the guild of my own accord…

Admittedly, I'd been uneasy on returning to Magnolia. Even if seven years hadn't passed, I'd been wary of the possibility that I'd get turned away; but surprisingly, no one had given my presence a second thought and I was immediately invited to celebrate.

From what I remember, there had been a father-daughter drinking contest between Cana and Gildarts; Jet, Droy and Vijeeter had performed a strange drunken dance number in celebration of 'Team Shadowgear reborn' –which was interesting at best and downright creepy at worst; and Gajeel had challenged Natsu to an eating competition, amongst other alcohol-induced craziness. Lisanna, Mirajane and Kinana were kept on their toes, constantly ferrying drinks to and from tables. A good portion of my night -more than I'd like to admit- was spent watching Mira wait tables…Then I'd spent just as much time avoiding Evergreen; lest she realise I was hiding a mild infatuation to the beautiful Mirajane…

And that was all before I'd left the lively scene of the downgraded guild_ early_; during only the fifth round of celebratory drinks. By no means was I a 'light-weight' when it came to alcohol, but I had my reasons.

Truthfully, I'd spent the night feeling a little out of my depth. Much had happened during the past seven years, and having been separated from the guild a little longer than everyone else, I'd felt disengaged from the merry atmosphere. Even before my exile, I'd never been the best at social exchanges. Besides, I hadn't exactly been keen to spend the night looking after my drunken friends. Nonetheless, my excuses for leaving early were poor, even by my standards.

I'd told Freed and Bickslow that I needed to check the state of my apartment, which easily could've been put off another few hours. On the other hand, _escaping_ the wailing and sobbing of the two grown men I called my best friends, had not been so simple. Aggravating was more accurate.

I'd cleverly managed to avoid a confrontation with Evergreen -who would have seen through my lies- by interrogating a rather drunken Elfman about their relationship:

_"…__What do I think Of Evergreen? ...Hmm…" Elfman paused, his hazy mind mulling over the question. Beside me, I could see interest spark in Evergreen's eyes. Suddenly, an answer came to him._

_"…__Ever is a man!" The already tipsy Strauss was given a resounding thwack from a fan-wielding Evergreen and he slumped over unceremoniously._

_"__I'm a woman, you idiot!?"_

My previous assumption that it would be fun to tease Elfman and Evergreen was wrong. It was in fact, hilarious.

…I hadn't said anything to Mirajane… I hadn't spoken to her since our encounter on Tenrou island…

_'__Oh, Laxus…'_

If I was being honest with myself; I'd left the celebrations early because I hadn't wanted to disappoint Gramps. I hadn't wanted to make him force his hand and order me to leave the guild for a second time... Not again. Gramps deserved a better grandson than me. And I didn't deserve to be in Fairytail. It was probably best to distance myself… One good deed was not enough to redeem myself, not even if that one deed was defeating Hades and saving the guild itself.

_'__You're a part of Fairytail through and through…'_

And there was the other good reason not to reconnect with the guild: my perilous new fascination with one Mirajane Strauss.

Slamming my back into the stubborn door, I slid to the floor, connecting with the cobbled ground; though not before giving the infernal obstruction a final thump. I ran a single hand through my hair in frustration. I hadn't spoken to the woman for more than a week; yet not once had she left my thoughts. Her voice echoed in my mind, past conversations on replay. Her cerulean eyes haunted my dreams; and every so often, I'd mistake a flash of light for her dazzling white locks. I was struggling to remember what used to occupy my brain before her.

_"__Laxus? Are you alright?"_

In every daydream and fantasy, she always sounded so realistic.

_"__Uhm… Laxus?"_

… Suspiciously realistic in fact.

I cautiously opened an eye to face the same bottomless sapphire chasms which were imprinted on my retinas.

It was her. My common sense left me. I froze.

"M-Mira?"

She was standing directly in front of me, with her head tilted to the side in concern. Her usual mauve dress flapped in the gentle summer breeze. When our eyes met, her face lit up and she flashed me a bright grin.

_Why was she here? What was I meant to do? Should I be saying something? -I couldn't just ignore her! – What should I say?_

A pale eyebrow rose in curiosity at my silence.

_Oh god, at this point any reply will do. Get it together. _

Mentally slapping myself, I cleared my throat a couple of times; giving my brain some time to generate a response.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just having some problems... with my apartment… yeah..." I managed to choke out.

"Hmmm?" She studied me closely. "It must be a pretty bad problem if you've resorted to sitting out here." A cheeky smirk settled on her face.

"Well I can't get in exactly… Seven years of neglect tends to have a negative effect on just about everything here, including doors…" Her lips settled into a sympathetic frown.

"Tell me about it. I've had to stay at a hotel the past week because my apartment is infested. It's infuriating! After being in a magical stasis for seven years that's not what we should have returned to. Lousy good-for-nothing landlord… " Mira trailed off angrily, muttering curses under her breathe. It was strange seeing Mirajane get so worked up and _not_ being the cause of her anger. Her fringe had fallen between her eyes, and she was glowering at an obtrusive pebble as if it had committed a grievous crime. She almost looked adorable. _Almost._

Having been on the receiving end of that glare more than once in our younger years, I could undeniably confirm that Mira's Bite was worse than her bark. I still had scars. At this point I decided to move our conversation along. I did not want to be labelled as the reason for Mirajane going on a rampage to destroy her useless landlord...

"Couldn't you deal with the infestation yourself?" To my question, Mira blanched.

"No… it' C-Cockroaches. I can't stand them..." I took one look at her grave expression and started chuckling. She pouted at me in earnest.

"Come on Laxus, it's not funny. They're really disgusting!" This statement only made me laugh even more.

"It's just …You're **The Demon Mirajane: **Able to take over and control the power of demons, one of Fiore's strongest wizards… And you're afraid of cockroaches?" I started sniggering again. Colour flared back into Mira's cheeks angrily. Her glower of doom was turned on me.

"Well, I was going to help fix your door, but since you're managing so well on your own…" She moved as if to walk away, but I caught one of her small hands, before she could leave.

"Wait! I'm sorry. I was just kidding…" She rotated back to me and stared strangely down at our hands. Her pointed gaze triggered a flow of blood, which rushed straight to my cheeks. We were holding hands…

I dropped the aforementioned limb very quickly. I must have imagined the disappointment that swept her face.

"Uhm… Can you really fix my door?" Mira gave me a slow nod and eyed the door.

"Mmm hmm. There's rust and splintering jamming up the hinges and locks, right?" At her words, I felt a little pathetic. She hadn't said it in a mocking tone; but out loud it sounded so trivial…

"Yeah, but I didn't want to break down my own door so…" She gave a positive nod and spun on her heels to face the door. She stood for a moment in silence, breathing in and out. Without warning she activated her magic and I flinched back from her as dust clouds rose up. Her hair swirled as magic circles appeared all around her.

After a few seconds, the magic circles faded and dust settled. With a gentle shove, Mira opened the door. _How had she done that?! _I was speechless; staring at the door, which was freely swinging back and forth on its hinges.

"Well, there you go. I've got to go now. I'm running late for an evening shift at the guild... I'll see you around?" Without another word, she briskly walked away.

Forcing myself from my shock, I managed to shout a quick "Thanks" before she turned the corner of the street. I was left feeling unexpectedly lonely at her absence…

I groaned in exasperation. As unlikely as it was; I was most definitely interested in Mirajane.

* * *

**SORRY I KNOW IT'S NOT PERFECT BUT I'M LITERALLY ABOUT TO GO TO THE AIRPORT! MUCH LOVE FOR READING, PLEASE REVIEW XX**


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